Bare Escentuals headquarters tour

Bella's Bare Escentuals Adventure

So, you may know that Sugar HQ is in San Francisco. And you probably know that Bare Escentuals is also based in the city by the Bay. So when I was invited to a luncheon, you know I headed over!

The event itself was a brainstorming meeting for a pretty cool endeavor between Sephora and Bare Escentuals. Two lucky Sephora cast members (that's employees, to the rest of us) were given the chance to create a Sephora-exclusive Bare Escentuals makeup kit. After viewing dozens of pigment samples and even mixing their own colors, they presented their ideas to the Bare Escentuals team. Since the kit is still in the works, I can't share details — but I will say that their ideas really impressed me.

Read on to see my exclusive photos from the event (and to get the scoop on meeting Leslie)!

The elevator bank

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I took an elevator up to the 22nd floor, where even the elevator area is well-designed. The elevators were to the left and right, and the space had gorgeous crystal chandeliers. Frankly, it was prettier than my house. Casa would have died and gone to heaven.

A wee boutique

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See what I mean? Look how cute this is! A mini Bare Escentuals boutique sits next to the reception desk. The attention to detail was impressive.

A cool waiting area

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Before lunch, I hung out here for a few minutes. Just beyond the blue chairs are windows looking out on downtown San Francisco. Beautiful!

Conference room

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Here's one of the conference rooms. The others are, of course, Tap and Buff. I thought this was a cute touch. Can't you imagine saying, "Let's have a meeting in Swirl tomorrow"?

Sharing ideas with Leslie

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Before lunch, Gary and Bonnie chatted with Bare Escentuals CEO Leslie Blodgett. I loved meeting her because not only is she a smart businesswoman, she's also just as sweet and warm as she appears on QVC. When I told her how many of you are Bare Escentuals fans, she was so happy. She says hello to all of you!

The Sephora winners!

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Bonnie Watts, at right, and Gary Chorost both work at Sephora. During their stay in San Francisco, the lucky pair developed a Bare Escentuals makeup kit that will be available exclusively at Sephora.

This is the first time Sephora and Bare Escentuals have created a kit this way, so I was excited to see what Bonnie and Gary came up with. When they presented their ideas and colors to the group, their creativity and passion for their work was unmistakably strong.

Showing off the look of the kit

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Three models showed us the makeup look that Gary and Bonnie created. As you can see, it was well-received.

Like I said, I wish I could tell you more about the colors, but trust me: It's a really beautiful look, and I can see this kit flying off the shelves. It's the kind of thing that you might not expect from Bare Escentuals, but then you see it and think, "Of course! Perfect fit!"

Nom nom nom

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Any lunch that ends with a treat of chocolate-covered strawberries is all right in my book. Thanks to everyone at Bare Escentuals for being such gracious hosts!